Kenneth Cole Bon Jovi Ad

Kenneth Cole has been well-known and respected in the fashion industry for over twenty years. It has always been an advocate of just causes such as the American Foundation for Aids Research, Rock the Vote, as well as commenting on political issues. However, its advertising does not always focus on the causes; instead it tends to use catchy and bold statements such as "It's better in the dark" and "Are you putting us on?" Kenneth Cole's recent ad campaigns have began to focus more and more on sexual innuendos and sex appeal.

The ad for the new Kenneth Cole men's cologne, RSVP, features an attractive, metrosexual man looking into a mirror. The man is wearing a white button-up shirt which is unbuttoned, a tie untied around his neck, stylish cufflinks, and a gold chain with a black pendant around his neck. The man is a middle-aged, Caucasian man, with disheveled blonde hair. He is looking at himself in the mirror, smirking as he buttons his shirt sleeves. In the lower right corner, there is a red bottle of the RSVP cologne. The lower center of the ad reads "RSVP: The New Men's Scent from Kenneth Cole." The middle of the ad features the cheeky statement, "Did You Respond When Called Upon?" Vertically written, very small on the left side of the ad, it says "A portion of the proceeds from the sales of R.S.V.P. Kenneth Cole will be donated to Help USA and the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation."

The ad appeals to ethos because Kenneth Cole is a very well known, established brand which has been around for over twenty years. Most people who are familiar with Kenneth Cole know about its contributions and support of just causes. The ad greatly appeals to pathos in a number of ways. First of all, the question the ad asks makes the reader think and draws them in. Second, the red cologne bottle catches the eye because it pops out from the rest of the neutral colored ad. Red is color which usually signifies passion, love, and adventure. Third, if the viewer is to look close enough, they can see that proceeds from the sale the cologne will go to a charitable foundation. This makes the brand seem conscientious and also gives the viewer a good reason to buy the product. Lastly, the image of the man appeals to the male reader as the man in the picture seems to have it all. The man is good looking, classy, and apparently has an exciting sex life. The man looks as if he has just had a rendezvous, most likely with an attractive woman, as he looks very pleased with himself. He is buttoning up his shirt and his hair is messed, making the sexual innuendo even bolder and clearer.

The ad is targeting men, mostly younger and middle aged men between the ages of 18-35. The ad implies that if you wear the cologne, you will be "called upon" by women, and will have an exciting sex life. It appeals to men of this age as the model in the ad is around thirty years old and is a high flier. He is well-groomed and is wearing a button up shirt and tie with stylish cufflinks. His appearance indicates that he is a successful career man. Most men in the 18-35 year old range are either starting a career or are trying to advance in their career. They are also at the age where they are dating and engaging in relationships. I found the ad in Vogue magazine, but the ad has also run in magazines such as W and Men's Vogue which are geared more towards men than Vogue. It is geared towards the metrosexual men who are more likely to read fashion magazines. It also appeals to female readers of Vogue and W who want their boyfriends or husbands to be like the featured model.

I think that the ad is very effective. The statement is very bold as well as the visual of a man who has just had a racy rendezvous has enormous sex appeal. The ad is daring, yet classy and discrete. The ad is successful in drawing the reader in and appealing to its target audience, by knowing exactly what the audience is looking for. The ad is overall very successful in drawing the viewer in, but it does very little to promote its just cause. However, I am pretty sure that more people will stop and stare at this ad rather longer than an ad which directly promotes a just cause. Sad but true. Sex sells and the people at Kenneth Cole know it. If sex can support a charitable cause under the rug, then why not use it?